The Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers ( ALAM ), began as the Manufacturer's Mutual Association ( MMA ), an organization originally formed to challenge the litigation of the fledgling automobile industry by George B. Selden and the Electric Vehicle Company . Ultimately, the organization took advantage of its power and became Selden's greatest ally. In exchange for favorable royalty rates, the group gained the power to litigate and exclude other manufacturers from licensing, making them the most powerful group in the early automotive industry.
22-646: In 1899, the Electric Vehicle Company purchased the rights to Selden's automobile patent. The patent was deemed flimsy by most of the industry, but the company purchased the rights to guarantee the legality of their new venture, the Columbia Automobile Company . A year later, however, the Columbia Automobile Company was in shambles thanks to internal corruption and low demand for electric vehicles, and
44-578: A group called the Manufacturers Mutual Association to breathe new life into Winton's legal defense. Formed by Henry Bourne Joy of Packard and Frederic L. Smith of Olds , the two entrepreneurs used their position to threaten the Electric Vehicle Company. The MMA called for much lower royalty payments and for the legal and license rights to be controlled by the MMA, or else they would bolster Winton's dying legal fund. By 1903,
66-402: A monopoly by placing electric cabs on the streets of major American cities, starting with New York City, Philadelphia , Chicago , Washington, D.C. , and Boston . The company ultimately sold some 2,000 cars, but this was not enough to establish monopoly. It fell into hard times in 1900 as gasoline-powered automobiles emerged, lawsuits attacked their monopolistic practices, and scandal surrounded
88-617: A wheelbase of 64 inches (1,600 mm), and rode on 30-inch (760 mm) wooden spoked wheels , with leather fenders. The drivetrain had clear evolutionary roots in Pope's bicycle business, driving the rear axle via a chain drive (typical of automobiles of the era), producing virtually the only operating noise. Between the motor and the chain drive was a transmission with three forward and two reverse speeds. Twenty batteries manufactured by Exide Batteries, also associated with Electric Vehicle Company, were placed above both axles in order to balance
110-660: The Henry Ford Company , specifically), and also due to the protectionist climate of the ALAM. Frederic Smith of Olds was the executive board member most outspoken against Ford’s admission to the ALAM, and also had the most to lose from such an admission, as he held most of the Detroit market for mass-produced automobiles. On October 22, 1903, the ALAM filed suit with the Ford Motor Company, and what followed
132-452: The Electric Vehicle Company turned to the Selden patent as an alternative source of revenue. They set out to have manufacturers pay a 5% royalty on all cars produced. By 1900, The Electric Vehicle Company launched several lawsuits against automobile manufacturers. Their ultimate target among the fray was Alexander Winton , and his Winton Motor Carriage Company . Originally formed in 1896,
154-589: The Winton Company was by 1900 the highest-volume automobile producer in the US. If the patent were to gain validity in the industry, Selden believed, they needed to tackle the largest manufacturer. The Winton Company's defense made the costly mistake of concentrating on challenging the patent’s validity through demurrer ; by 1902 the case was still tied up and Winton was considering a settlement. In response to his distress, other independent automobile makers formed
176-563: The cabs were in use in Manhattan. After the merger, E.V.C. concentrated on building heavy but reliable electric cabs in the E.C.W.C. workshops, and it also operated the rental system for a short time. By 1899, E.V.C. had built several hundred vehicles and become the country's leading motor car manufacturer. Electric Vehicle was taken over in 1899 by a syndicate of William C. Whitney , Thomas Fortune Ryan , Anthony N. Brady , and P. A. B. Widener . Their "Lead Cab Trust" aimed to develop
198-523: The company was renamed the Columbia Motor Car Company and in 1910 was acquired by United States Motor Company . A different Columbia Motors existed from 1917 to 1924. The 1904 'Columbia Brougham ' was equipped with a tonneau . It could seat four passengers and sold for US$ 3,500 . Twin electric motors were situated at the rear of the car . Similar 'Columbia' coupes, 'Columbia Hansom ' cabs, or hansoms, were also produced for
220-517: The costs of trying the Selden patent in the courts, and gave existing members the ability to exclude and even litigate unlicensed competitors. The ALAM's exclusionary policies were ultimately its undoing. The up-and-coming Ford Motor Company was capitalized in 1903, and Henry Ford immediately attempted to secure a Selden license. He was denied, officially due to his past business failures (the Detroit Automobile Company and
242-409: The entire automobile industry for a relatively low cost. The group negotiated a 1.25% royalty on all cars produced, one-half of one percent of which went directly into the ALAM legal and operations funds. Applications for ALAM membership and a Selden license were granted only by the unanimous decision of a five-member executive board. This system left ALAM members with royalties considerably lower than
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#1732783765837264-487: The gasoline engine. It helped in urban areas that electrical supply for recharging was easily found within the runabout's 40-mile (64 km) range. Nevertheless, in 1903, a Columbia was driven 250 miles (400 km) from Boston to New York City in 23 hours. In keeping with this urban orientation, the Columbia was positioned as a high-end vehicle (even at a time when automobiles were very expensive), with its showroom across
286-498: The organization had officially become the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers, and had secured favorable rights from the Electric Vehicle Company. Only a few months after the formation of the organization, Winton became an ALAM member, and the suit against his company was dropped. The patent had gained legitimacy without ever having its validity determined. The ALAM gained from the agreement, giving them control over
308-500: The poor performance of its vehicles. Oldsmobile displaced EVC as the top U.S. automaker in 1901. Whitney brought in industrial leader Albert Augustus Pope , who brought the Columbia Automobile Company . The trust was reorganized as the parent company of several vehicle manufacturers, among them Columbia and the Riker Electric Vehicle Company , which was acquired in 1902. Electric Vehicle's chief asset
330-409: The range was the 'Columbia Runabout ' car. Priced at just US$ 750 , it used a single electric motor, with an Exide battery and Concord springs. Columbia's basic runabout was typical of the time, resembling a horseless carriage, and was steered via a tiller . It cost US$ 850 , US$ 200 more than the contemporary Curved Dash Oldsmobile . The 1,200-pound (540 kg), single bench seat vehicle had
352-650: The ruling, finding in favor of Ford on January 9, 1911. ALAM chose not to contest the ruling. Columbia Automobile Company Columbia was an American brand of automobiles produced by a group of companies in the United States. They included the Pope Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut , the Electric Vehicle Company , and an entity of brief existence in 1899, the Columbia Automobile Company. In 1908,
374-412: The same price. They could achieve 13 mph (21 km/h). A 'Columbia Victoria Phaeton ' was priced at US$ 3,000 , but was based on the same design. The 'Columbia Surrey' and 'Columbia Victoria' were more traditional horseless carriages. Both used the same power system as the larger cars, with twin electric motors, but cost much less at US$ 1,500 and US$ 1,600 , respectively. At the bottom end of
396-582: The street from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. The Columbia Touring Car was an entirely different car. A touring car model, it used a tonneau , seating six passengers, and resembled the touring models offered by many other companies at the time. Priced at US$ 4,500 to US$ 5,000 , it used a vertically mounted straight-4 , situated at the front of the car, producing 24 hp (18 kW). A four-speed sliding transmission
418-419: The weight. Brakes on both rear wheels featured a bell, which rang when the vehicle reached a full stop. Top speed was about 15 mph (24 km/h). Besides the runabout, Columbia manufactured about 20 other models including taxis , police cars, and buses . The vehicles were most popular in cities, where relatively smooth roads made the electric motor, with its smoothness and silence, appear superior over
440-424: Was a messy public relations battle. The ALAM launched a campaign threatening to sue those who purchased Ford automobiles. Ford responded in-kind, summing up their position as, "We believe that the art would have been just as far advanced to-day if Mr. Selden had never been born." On September 15, 1909, presiding judge Charles Merrill Hough found legitimacy in the Selden patent. The court of appeals later overturned
462-433: Was fitted. The car weighed 3,000 lb (1,400 kg). One design innovation was the "false frame" supporting the engine. A Knight sleeve valve powered model was added to the range in 1912 and 1913. Electric Vehicle Company Electric Vehicle Company was an American holding company that operated from 1897 to 1907 and was an early manufacturer of battery-powered automobiles. The Electric Vehicle Company
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#1732783765837484-700: Was founded September 27, 1897, as a holding company of battery-powered electric vehicle manufacturers acquired and assembled by Isaac Rice . In May 1897, Rice had acquired the Electric Carriage & Wagon Company (E.C.W.C.), a New York manufacturer of electric taxicabs. Its cabs were built by Henry G. Morris and Pedro G. Salom, who had created the Electrobats , the country's first useful electric automobiles. E.V.W.C. leased, rather than sold, its vehicles, and built service stations for repairs and to quickly change out battery sets. In January 1897, 12 of
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